Ears naturally secrete cerumen or wax (“earwax”) to protect and lubricate the ears. The earwax acts as a self-cleaning agent produced by your body. Wax keeps out debris out and hinders bacterial growth. Wax works its way out of the ears naturally through chewing and other jaw motions. Normally, the human body keeps a certain amount of earwax in the ears but when there is too much earwax present, a blockage in the ear may occur. This may result in damage to the ear canal and ear drum of the ear over time causing earaches, ringing in the ears, or temporary hearing loss.
Currently, there are a few methods utilized to prevent the buildup of excess wax. The safest way to remove wax buildup from your ears is to visit a doctor but this may not be practical for everyone because of time and money concerns. Some people use devices such as cotton swabs or Q-Tips® to remove excess wax and debris from their ear. However, cotton swabs may damage the ear canal and ear drum, and even push wax further down into the ear. Others use syringes wherein a large syringe is used to pump water into the ear. Syringing is a dangerous procedure because it is difficult to control water pressure, which may cause damage to the ear and can result in an infection, perforation of the eardrum, and trauma to the ear canal.
Removing excess wax with ear irrigation is one of the safer ways way to minimize the risk of damage to the ear. Irrigation involves using the controlled, pressurized flow of water so that the ear wax is softened, broken up, and then washed out of the ear, preventing the build-up of ear wax.
Previous irrigator devices do not have an effective way to increase water pressure or a way to prevent splash back and the prevention of leakage. Thus, there exists a need for an improved irrigation device that allows for smooth transition for water out and into the ear canal with additional targeted water pressure.